Automated collet loading for the manufacture of contact lenses

An apparatus for automated feeding of contact lens molds intermittently into a machine for lathing, comprising:

• a collet assembly for positioning and securing a contact lens mold for lathing, said collet assembly including:
• a faceplate fixed at one end thereof to a lathe spindle rotatable about an axis of rotation, said faceplate having a flange at an opposite end thereof;
• and
• a nosepiece that is substantially a flanged cylinder having at one end a flange fixed to the flange of the faceplate, and a hollow cylindrical portion at an opposed distal end of the nosepiece,
• said faceplate and said nosepiece being in axial alignment with said axis of rotation of said lathe spindle, and rotatable with said lathe spindle,
• said hollow cylindrical portion including:
• a distal endwall at said opposed distal end of the nosepiece, said distal endwall having an aperture therein to accommodate and accurately position a contact lens mold for lathing,
• a lateral cylindrical surface extending between the flange of the nosepiece and said distal endwall, said lateral cylindrical surface having diametrically opposed apertures therein, wherein one of said diametrically opposed apertures forms an access opening in the nosepiece for a contact lens mold to enter into an interior of said hollow cylindrical portion, and
• dowel pins spanning the other of said diametrically opposed side openings, for contacting and stopping a contact lens mold received in said interior of said hollow cylindrical portion at an initial position adjacent to said aperture in the distal endwall;
• an axially reciprocating plunger extending axially in the interior of said hollow cylindrical portion, for advancing and retracting a contact lens mold between said initial position and said aperture in the distal endwall;
• mold delivery means for delivering individual contact lens molds to said collet assembly, said mold delivery means including a gate means located above and in alignment with said nosepiece, for dropping individual molds by gravity into said access opening;
• mold transporting means for transporting contact lens molds from said collet assembly after lathing, said mold transporting means including a collecting means located below and in alignment with said nosepiece, for collecting lathed contact lens molds dropped by gravity from said access opening;
• and
• control means for orienting said access opening of the nosepiece in an upward direction to receive a contact lens mold from said gate means, actuating said gate means to drop by gravity a contact lens mold into said access opening, and orienting said access opening of the nosepiece in a downward position to discharge a lathed contact lens into said collecting means.

An apparatus for automated feeding of workpieces intermittently into a machine for lathing, comprising:

• a collet for positioning and securing a workpiece for lathing, said collet being fixed at a first end thereof to a lathe spindle rotatable about an axis of rotation, and including at an opposed distal end a nosepiece having a hollow cylindrical portion,
• wherein said hollow cylindrical portion is in axial alignment with said axis of rotation of said lathe spindle and rotatable with said lathe spindle, said hollow cylindrical portion including:
• a distal endwall having an aperture therein to accommodate and accurately position a workpiece for lathing, said aperture being aligned axially with said axis of rotation;
• a lateral cylindrical surface extending from said distal endwall towards said first end, said lateral cylindrical surface having an aperture therein forming an access opening in the nosepiece for a workpiece to enter into an interior of said hollow cylindrical portion, and
• dowel means opposed to said access opening and adjacent said aperture in said distal endwall, for initially positioning a workpiece received in said interior of said hollow cylindrical portion at an initial position adjacent to said aperture in said distal endwall;
• plunger means in the interior of said hollow cylindrical portion, for advancing a workpiece from said initial position and into said aperture in said distal endwall;
• and
• delivery means adjacent said collet assembly, for delivering individual workpieces to said collet assembly, said delivery means including a gate means located above and in alignment with said nosepiece, for dropping individual workpieces by gravity into said access opening.